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Karma Chameleon in mittens

My subconscious operates like a jukebox. I often wake up in the morning with a song or a line from a song stuck in my head. After pondering it, I usually find something in the song that pertains to the work I have to do that day, or a situation I find myself stuck in.

Stuck. Stuck.. Oh, ha.

This morning I woke up hearing a line from Culture Club’s, “Karma Chameleon”:

Every day is like a survival….

My head has been stuck in the 80’s ever since I heard about The Police going on tour again. Stuck.

We got out for a little while yesterday. An elderly friend of ours was without propane and the truck couldn’t get close enough to his house to refill the tank, so we headed out with shovels to help. But by the time we got there, the propane company had sent a more experienced driver who was able to make the delivery safely.

We did some errands in downtown Mexico.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Saw this in the middle of town.

The snow keeps falling. In the last 48 hours, we’ve had at least two more feet, which brings my unofficial total for the last 12 days of snow to 130 inches. (The newspaper has a nice timeline of the storm. I hope they update it.)

And then the wind started. Our driveway is completely drifted in – we’re stuck again until the heavy machinery arrives. I have 8 boxes of signed copies of TWISTED that UPS wants to pick up. A) I’m not sure UPS can get down my road right now and B) Nothing is moving up and down my driveway until the payloader arrives… except for me on the snowshoes. (Calls have been made to the hero with the payloader, we’re just waiting. Why do I think we’ll be buying a tractor this summer?)

The entire Central New York region was hit with this phase of the storm. Our county is still in a state of emergency. Many other counties have travel restrictions. Pretty much everything seems closed. The nor’easter storm is dying down. Now we’re waiting for more lake effect snow to start up again.

Last night I watched the Travel Channel obsessively.

In non-weather news, you should read this article about the making of the Bridge to Terabithia movie. (Thanks to Fuse #8 for the link.) And while we’re talking about the Mother Goddesses of Children’s Literature, did you know Lois Lowry has a blog???!!!!

I’m pretty much done with the taxes and the travel planning for the spring, so today I will attack the fanmail pile that has accumulated for the last two months. I’ll also get outside for some fresh air and will report back with photos.

Stay warm.

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Hello, Madison, Alabama! Hello, Orson Scott Card!

Before the writing update, some other news…

I received word last night from Youth Services Librarian Lexie Robinson that SPEAK won an Ellie Award for Favorite Dramatic YA book in Madison, Alabama. The Ellies are awards voted on by the teens in their community, much in the spirit of the Emmys. Thank you, Madison!!! Yeah, I want this library in my backyard, too. They have a Myspace page for their YA section. (I am looking up how long it would take to drive there…)

Speaking of hanging out at libraries, I will be giving a writing workshop at my beloved Mexico Public Library, Mexico, NY the morning of Saturday, February 3. It’s going to run from 9- 1pm. You have to pre-register to attend. If interested, call the library. (No, I am not going to post the number. Looking it up is your first assignment for the workshop.)

came up with the best gifts for a CATALYST lover (or fan of caffeine), ever.

Yesterday’s writing went well. I achieved the first 2 of my 3 goals and my head did not explode. I had forgotten that I had a hair appointment; that messed me up some. By the time my hair was pretty and we finished dinner and talked to various kids on the phone, I was beat and did not go back to work. But I slept well, that was good. Kept seeing platters of hors d’oeuvres in my dreams. Now I am hungry.

Today’s goal is more modest: the dusting and polishing and uniting of chptrs 28-32 and new work on 33. (I have a mammogram this afternoon, and its a long drive. Have you had your mammogram?)

I haven’t gone to the gym since Sunday and it is making me crazy. I can’t wait for this book to be done…. well, at least this draft.

Edited to add: just tipped me off to the fact that Orson Scott Card (yeah, Ender’s Game. Yeah, really, him) gave David’s wonderful books Hidden Talents and the new one, True Talents, stellar raving reviews. And then! And then! He wrote about watching the SPEAK movie and reading the book and said very, very nice things about both. (scroll waaaaaay down the page to read it. Please. I’m begging.)

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Authors should marry well

I’m working up in my office today (it’s the third floor loft) because it is warm enough to step away from the fireplace today. My husband just brought me a carafe of tea and a hot pad to put under my feet because while it is warmer, it is still a wee bit chilly (feels like 10 degrees outside). Note to future authors: choose your mates with care. The life companion of an author must have the following:

1. The patience of all the saints, combined.
2. A fondness for inexpensive clothes and peanut butter sandwiches.
3. A wicked good sense of humor.
4. The ability to not be put off when you talk to your characters in your sleep, or when your eyes glaze over during conversation and he/she realizes that you are in your story, and not really listening.
5. A gracious acceptance of the fact that state and national library conventions count as family vacations.
6. The ability to stand at the Staples photocopier for hours and remain cheerful.
7. The courage to return your overdue library books and pay the fines.
8. The willingness to go back to the library and pick up the dozen books you just ordered.
9. The skill to spin the straw of all critical reviews into gold.
10. The sense of when to cheer, when to nudge, and when to brew tea.

I am a very lucky author. Thanks, BH.

I found an amazing mistake in a history book this morning, and lost a half-hour verifying it. But now I know I’m right about the date of a particular invasion and I’m feeling a little smug. (And I have warm toes! And hot tea!) Am anxiously awaiting the news from Seattle about the Big Awards this morning. Good luck to all!!

Yesterday: writing. Today: more of the same.

edited to add: Here are the ALA winners – hearty congratulations to all!

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Hug a hobbit day

Hug a hobbit, shave your toes, waltz with a wizard (of the Gandalf flavor, unless you like living dangerously) all in celebration of the birth of one of my all-time favoritist authors: Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973). Get into the spirit of the day by toasting the old dear. (One of the best literary moments of my life was when we visited the Botanic Garden in Oxford, England and I got to hug his tree, the one that inspired his Ents. Here’s another shot. Ah, bliss.)

I took my pick-axe to the plot knot yesterday and am happy to report that the sucker is gone. BH and I went to the gym late in the day and I took out my frustrations on the treadmill. Felt much better after that. Smelled better after a long, hot shower. BH cooked shrimp with spinach and garlic and a massive side dish of broccoli. Read more poetry before bed, so it wound up being an excellent day.

Woke up this morning at 1am convinced that it was 6 and I could get back to work. The moon was high and fat and it bewitched me to a secret place where I lay the rest of the night, thinking of my main character and worrying about her.

By bedtime tonight I hope to have straightened out all the little knots and inconsistencies in Part I of the WIP. That means the rest of the month (after I return from this weekend’s retreat) I can focus on Part II.

I am still waiting for snow. I live in the Buckle of The Snow Belt and it is supposed to get up to 55 degrees today. I am not amused.

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Wolf whistle

Does anybody know what that means? A wolf whistle is the obnoxious tweet-tweeeee whistle that some men make to show appreciation of/interest in a passing woman. Note to guys: girls do NOT like this. Ever. In fact, it pretty much guarantees that in her head she is condemning you to the lowest level of hell. Running after her screaming “shake it, mami, shake it hard” is also a Bad Thing. If you want to let a girl know you think she’s hot, then a polite, restrained nod of the head is the way to go.

Anyway, in my daughter’s China journal today, she points out that construction guys in China do it, too. Kind of makes you want to sing “It’s a Small World,” doesn’t it?

(The reason it is funny that she would be mistaken for a Latina, is that she has blazing white skin and red hair. Mostly, she gets mistaken for a tourist from Dublin.)

Congrats to Sarah Dessen writergrl (and my in-laws Darice, Gregg, Eric, and Anna) on the win of the Caroline Hurricanes, and to Alex Flinn on the Miami Heat.

Back to the doc today for more tests about the stupid infection. Bah.

And more fact-checking and obsessing about words in the picture book.